Cubs Agree to a Seven-Year, $41 Million Contract with Anthony Rizzo

According to a report from Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs have reached agreement on a seven-year, $41 million contract with Anthony Rizzo that would run through the 2019 season. Rosenthal’s sources indicated that the deal includes two club options and escalators that could extend the contract until 2021 and bring the total value to $73 million.

The new contract would include an immediate increase for his 2013 season. Rizzo is currently making just over the big league minimum for this season, $498,000. The contract would cover all four of his arbitration years and his first year of free agency.

The Cubs locked up Starlin Castro to a seven-year, $60 million deal last August and would like to sign Jeff Samardzija to a long-term contract.

No further details of the deal have been released. The Cubs current front office does not hand out no-trade clauses.

After a slow start to the season, Anthony Rizzo is hitting .280/.352/.538 in 37 games that includes 10 doubles, nine home runs, a .891 OPS and 28 RBI. This is a good move for the Chicago Cubs and for Anthony Rizzo. They now have cost certainty on two players they feel are part of the core moving forward.